Sunday, December 1, 2013

Happy Holidays everyone! December is here, and you know what that means....more holiday romances! Check out the newest releases:

'TWAS THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS, by Olivia Miles

A romantic inn. . .a white Christmas. . .hot cocoa by a roaring fire. .
.it all adds up to a perfect holiday romance from Special Edition debut
author Olivia Miles! A storm is about to shake up Holly Tate’s quaint lifestyle, and the
Nor’easter scheduled to hit the small town of Maple Woods, Connecticut
will have nothing on the upheaval real estate tycoon Max Hamilton
creates during his week-long stay at The White Barn Inn. Since
inheriting her grandmother’s house five years ago, Holly has poured her
heart and soul into transforming the old mansion into a successful inn,
hoping to be able to save enough to buy the property when the
ninety-nine year lease expires on Christmas Day.

Unbeknownst to Holly,
Max has a different plan. But as attraction builds and emotions stir,
will Holly’s contagious Christmas spirit have him changing his mind? Or
will Holly be forced to start the new year with no home or business, but
instead, only a broken heart?

And a special re-release... THE BILLIONAIRE'S CHRISTMAS BABY, by Victoria James

Jackson Pierce didn’t make his fortune entertaining every half-cocked
idea, especially one involving diaper changes. Not even the cute
brunette who links him to the baby in her arms can crack his icy heart.

A
baby on the doorstep is the least of Hannah Woods’s problems—she has to
find the baby’s uncle, or the child will end up in foster care. She
sleuths her way to the reclusive CEO’s doorstep only to find six feet of
holiday sexy—and a door slammed in her face. But when Jackson comes
around and urges they marry for little Emily’s sake, Hannah finds
herself falling for the jaded billionaire and wishing for a holiday
miracle of their own…

Friday, November 22, 2013

I don’t get a lot of time to watch TV these days, but when I
do I’m very selective and possessive about my turn on the sofa with a Do Not
Disturb expression on my face. Note, I haven’t managed to assert my turn with
the remote control – with two children and a fully grown male in the house,
that would be absurd. In fact even the cat gets a look in on that more than I
do! Anyway, one of my most favorite programs
is currently running in the UK: Masterchef !

If you’re not
familiar with the show, it’s basically a competition that runs over a number of
weeks to find a top chef from either amateurs, professionals or celebrities. As
the weeks progress, contestants have to leave the competition because they’re
not up to scratch and eventually there are 3 chefs fighting it out for the
ultimate prize. It started in the UK in about 1990, but is now produced in over
35 countries – so this show clearly has global appeal, but it recently occurred
to me that it has come to represent more than just posh meals on plates
for me.

Once upon a time when I was young, free and single, I fancied
my chances on getting on the show one day and would think nothing of spending a
whole weekend creating something amazing from scratch. Like an authentic curry
for instance, grinding the whole spices in a pestle and mortar, creating
aromatic purees, marinading for hours and then trying to emulate an Indian
tandoor oven somehow … Now I have a busy family life, such pursuits are the stuff of
dreams (especially when they all want something different for dinner!), but
Masterchef has begun to impact on me in
another quite unexpected way. The entire
competition, the heats and rounds and ultimately the selection of the winner is
almost a mirror of what it’s like to become a published author … I can’t get the
emotional parallels out of my head. Think I’m mad? Reckon all those hours sat
hunched over a laptop surrounded by laundry and dust have turned my head and sautéed
my brain? Let me set out my case:

Wanting to be a published author and a competition-winning chef requires passion, dedication and a lot of
practice. It’s not something that can be achieved overnight even if you are the
world’s most genius/lucky author or chef.

You want to experiment and trail blaze with your exciting
new ideas, but you have to master the basics first: chefs have to be able to at
least identify the parts of the animal they’re cooking, an author will be
expected to pitch their masterpiece as fitting into a distinct genre it they
want to get anywhere. And there are rules that have to be abided by whether you
like it or not – you are not in charge of this kitchen/publisher. Scrupulous
hygiene and damn good punctuation are non-negotiable.

Both the chef and the author need patience and tenacity. In
the same way it takes hours to make a fine cooking stock from bones and exotic
vegetables, an author will spend an almost unbelievable amount of time reading
through their work trying to improve it. The skill lies in layers of flavour
and sensation for the chef, and emotional highs and lows, gripping plot and a
convincing character arc for the author. It’s not easy and it ain’t quick.

You must please the gatekeeper if you’re to achieve your
dream; the author needs to snare an editor’s interest and follow through with a
manuscript that lies up to expectations. The Masterchef contestant will have to
suffer the scrutiny of the professional judges; watching in agony while they
sip, wince and shake their heads. Those
first mouthfuls are like sending in your three chapter partial and synopsis;
will it be good enough? Will I get through to the next round and get asked for the
full manuscript?

Both the author and chef are always learning and criticism
comes with the territory. Unfortunately it’s not a precise science either,
there’s no right or wrong answer as to whether the seasoning of a sauce is
completely right because everyone’s taste is different. An editor may say a
sentence (or entire book!) is too flowery/clunky/ inappropriate. They may even
go as far as to simply say they don’t like it. There’s nothing you can do but
keep trying; chef takes the plate back to the kitchen, author sits down and
rewrites the bloody thing or rips it up and starts again …

Both chefs and authors tend to curse a lot.

Then both the author and the chef face the ultimate
judgement ; readers and diners. There will be rejections, mixed feedback, poor
earnings, long hours, moments of overwhelming self-doubt, tears and possibly
neglected spouses ...

The emotions, highs and lows, stresses and high stakes
intensity are present in both scenarios and it makes you wonder why people put
themselves through it all. The answer is simple, it’s their dream and
ultimately, somebody has to win … I
cry every year when the winner is announced because being handed that Masterchef
trophy and a glass of champagne is just the same as getting your first ‘call’,
signing your first contract and holding your first book. In that moment all the
pain is forgotten until you go through the whole process again.

However, I do think the author has a slightly better deal
over all because nobody checks if my fingernails are clean and when it comes to
dinner time these days I can cheat!

Have you ever watched Masterchef? Or similar shows? Have any
particular recipes stuck in your mind? Someone did vanilla potatoes the other
week. I’m not so sure about that idea …

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

I may be the most excited guest at this party. Olivia is my oldest and dearest friend and my trusted critique partner, and I'm thrilled to have her in the Hot Seattoday to talk about her charming debut, 'Twas the Week Before Christmas. Leave a comment for your chance to win a copy!

Congratulations on your debut release, Olivia! Holly and Max are
so easy to like and root for. What do you love most about each of them?

Max has had a hard life in many ways and I love the fact
that he’s tough but not bitter. He has a good sense of people, he’s friendly,
and even though he has a wall up, he’s approachable. With Holly, I love her
creative side and the way she approaches everything she does with her whole
heart. She’s not just playing a role of innkeeper; she wants to open her doors
and bring people into her home. She’s very genuine.

When I read 'Twas the Week Before Christmas, I'm
instantly transported to a little town that loves
Christmas. Am I right to assume that this reflects an author who loves the
holiday?

I do love Christmas. I’m a homebody, and I love cold weather
months in general because it’s a reason to stay inside. The holidays are an
extra cozy time of year because the house is filled with so many more beautiful
things than it normally is--lights and ornaments, music and delicious smells.
What’s not to love?

What inspired you
to write 'Twas the Week Before Christmas?

I have a bit of a “thing” for made for television Christmas
movies. I get excited about them every year. I re-watch my favorites and make
sure to record all the new ones. I even go through the channel websites to
check the line up and make sure I don’t miss any. Needless to say, when that
Happy Holidays contest popped up, it was like a sign from above. It was my
calling. I love watching holiday romances, so what better than to write one myself?

Can we talk about
the food? Cookies, pies, rich hot chocolate – your books ruin my diet! But
there's something very warm and nostalgic about these food references. What are
Max and Holly's favorite holiday foods? What's yours?

Hmm, I never even thought about this but that’s an
interesting observation. After all, my next Special Edition is called Recipe for Romance and I’m yet again working
on a book set in a restaurant…! Well, this really isn’t conscious. I must have
food on the brain! For this particular book, it’s set over the holidays, and
what are the holidays without rich foods? I’d say that Max doesn’t have many
holiday traditions to fall back on, so he’s open to the traditions Holly has
carried over into her inn. He loves the pies she picks up fresh in town. Holly
enjoys cooking; it’s yet another way for her to nurture and take care of
people. She’s a people pleaser, and she’s creative, and I think that she sees
delicious food as part of the overall service she provides. As for my favorite
holiday foods, I do like cookies, but again, I’d rather eat cookie dough. I’m
not much of a chocolate person (really!) but I do love vanilla, and we’ve made
a wonderful trifle for the past few holidays. The one thing I really do think
of as a true Christmas treat is eggnog.

Do you have any
more books planned for the characters in 'Twas
the Week Before Christmas?

My next release, Recipe
for Romance, is also set in the town of Maple Woods and several of the
characters from ‘Twas the Week Before
Christmas will make an appearance.

What role did
writing competitions play in your publication journey?

The first chapter of this book was the winning entry for
Special Edition’s Happy Holidays Contest. The win led to a full request and
shortly thereafter ‘The Call.’ I have no way of knowing how things might have
played out had I not entered that contest, but it was a turning moment in my
road to publication. I’d have to think it kick started something that might
otherwise have taken a considerably longer time.

You're a mom, a
wife, and a writer with (ahem) a number of books under contract. How do you
manage to make it all work?

I have become very organized, and this was not per se in my
nature before I was forced to juggle so many daily responsibilities. My writing
time is limited to my daughter’s schedule more or less, and I make sure to put
the time I have for writing to the best possible use. I plan ahead and know
what I need to accomplish that day. I don’t always meet my goals, but I usually
come close.

You're a fairly
prolific writer -- do you believe in writer's block? If so, how do you deal
with it? And if not, why not?

Yes and no. Sometimes a story idea just isn’t working, and
when that happens, I find myself unable to move forward with my writing. I
often still try to force it, but I have realized it is better not to. It only
leads to frustration. Often a day or two away from writing is the best thing I
can do for myself, and of course a little feedback from my critique partner
never hurts J When
I come back to the draft I’m working on, I am almost in a better place with it.
I think it’s common to write yourself into a dead end, but I don’t think that’s
the same as feeling like you just can’t write. I imagine that for most writers,
like myself, the mind just never switches off…there are always ideas floating
around, and it’s about deciding which ones work the best.

Your book just
hit shelves. Pinch yourself. Do you feel like a real writer?

I wish I could say that I felt like a real writer but I
really just feel like nothing has changed. I keep waiting for something to
click, to feel like my life’s goal has been reached, but I’m always setting new
goals for myself, so I never feel like I am quite there. I am a writer. It’s
what I do. But a real writer? I just
feel like me.

What are you
working on now, and what's next?

My second Special Edition, Recipe for Romance, releases on March 18th. In
September, my first single-title romance,
Mistletoe on Main Street, will release. This book is the first in my Briar
Creek Series from Grand Central Publishing. Right now I’m working on my second
Briar Creek novel, A Match Made on Main
Street, which has a release date of April 2015.

Any departing
words of wisdom for aspiring writers?

Create a goal for yourself, however big or small, and never
lose sight of it.

A romantic inn. . .a white Christmas. . .hot cocoa by a roaring fire. . .it all adds up to a perfect holiday romance from Special Edition debut author Olivia Miles! A storm is about to shake up Holly Tate’s quaint lifestyle, and the Nor’easter scheduled to hit the small town of Maple Woods, Connecticut will have nothing on the upheaval real estate tycoon Max Hamilton creates during his week-long stay at The White Barn Inn. Since inheriting her grandmother’s house five years ago, Holly has poured her heart and soul into transforming the old mansion into a successful inn, hoping to be able to save enough to buy the property when the ninety-nine year lease expires on Christmas Day.

Max has a different plan. But as attraction builds and emotions stir, will Holly’s contagious Christmas spirit have him changing his mind? Or will Holly be forced to start the new year with no home or business, but instead, only a broken heart?AMAZON || B&N

Monday, November 18, 2013

I was thrilled to be asked to mentor Harlequin's 2013 So You Think You Can Write finalist Jan Schliesman. Jan is the only finalist writing romantic suspense -- the subgenre nearest and dearest to my heart. Every writer has a journey, right? I invited Jan to the Hot Seat to talk about hers.Welcome, Jan! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?Thanks for having me on your blog,
Natalie.I’m originally from eastern
Iowa and currently reside in Wichita, Kansas.I believe in love at first sight because I met my future husband, Tim,
while working as a bank teller. One look
and I knew he was the one. He, on the other hand, waited several months before
asking me out. We’ve been married for twenty-five years and have three kids:
Jalynn, Tanner and Karlee. I worked for five years as a police dispatcher,
which sent me back to college. I earned my criminal justice degree in 2012 and
really thought I’d get another chance to dispatch but the crazy hours aren’t
conducive to a family life. I currently
work at a jewelry store and I’m pretty sure it’s going to be my last day job;)

Can you tell us about your manuscript, Kira's Keeper?

Kira’s
Keeper is a romantic suspense story.My
heroine, Kira Kincaid, works as an insurance investigator and has always
believed in playing by the rules and doing the right thing. Then she’s arrested
for embezzling from the government’s Medicare program after a large sum of
money is found in an old bank account.Her almost ex-husband, Joshua Kincaid, swore the account had been closed
right after their marriage and now she needs to track him down.Without his help to clear her name, she’ll end
up in prison.

Dalton Matthews, CEO
for Buckshot’s Coffee, has been hiding out in the woods for over a year. After
his wife’s suicide, the overzealous paparazzi are fighting for any picture of
him in exile. When Kira arrives at his cabin, he’s certain she’s motivated by
dollar signs. Then an attempt is made on her life and he’s forced into action.
But his plan to turn her over to the police is derailed when she insists she’s
married to his brother…his dead brother. The last thing his family needs is
another headline.

But when a second
attempt is made on her life he’s torn. Should he walk away from the woman who’s
succeeded in dredging up a few family secrets? Or should he believe the danger
surrounding her is real and remain Kira’s Keeper?

Every writer's journey has ups and downs. What has yours been like so far?

I started writing in 1997. I got a
subscription to Writer’s Digest magazine and purchased several books on
writing. I found a nearby writer’s group, Heart of Iowa Fiction Authors. To
show how determined I was, I drove seventy miles (one way) on a Thursday night
to attend a meeting! My kids were little
and it required a lot of planning. But
the gals I met were all very enthusiastic and welcoming. I brought along part
of the story I had started and no one laughed at me, even though it was single
spaced on lavender paperJ I tried to learn as
much as I could and attended my first RWA national conference in Chicago in
1999. Although determination was high, I was also dealing with a child with
autism and his needs frequently outweighed anything else. In 2003, I attended the New York conference
and came home with a new attitude. I could do this! Discipline was all I needed. Tanner had his first seizure three weeks
later while I was working as a police dispatcher. I still get chills thinking about the 911
call from my husband. Our family
relocated to Iowa City to be closer to a hospital that could treat him. As you can guess, writing was the furthest
thing from my mind. It was the fall of
2008 before I really got serious about writing again. I entered chapter
contests and won my first award in 2009---I got an email while sitting in a
Laundromat in Wichita, a week after my husband took a promotion. The next year
I took second place in the Daphne’s, along with a request for my full
manuscript. It took me six months, but I got it polished and sent in. I started
writing a new story and entering contests again, but as any parent of a special
needs child can tell you, working outside the home is sometimes your only
salvation. I also wanted to finish my degree, and everything seemed to be vying
for my attention. I returned to college full-time, took a job as a 911 call
taker, and then received a revision request on Kira’s Keeper. Three more months and I sent the
revisions. In May 2012, I graduated from
college and received a second revision request, this one telling me that the
romantic suspense line had increased to 70,000 words. More writing and revising before I stumbled
upon a writer’s loop that turned out to be my ultimate support. And I don’t know if I’d call it a total rewrite
(nods headJ), but I finally got it finished last spring and started a
new story. Evidently I’m getting a
little better at this writing thing because my second book won the Sheila
contest in August and is a finalist in the Golden Pen. I had this brilliant plan to enter my new
story in the SYTYCW contest, when another author suggested I stick with Kira’s
Keeper. Really? I stalled a bit before entering and was so
disappointed when I didn’t make the Top 50.
Yes, you read that correctly…I didn’t make the Top 50! It took me a week to get over the
disappointment, and then the next day I received an email stating another spot
had opened up and requesting my book by Friday. I made that deadline with the
support of my Texas ladies: Angi Morgan, Jen FitzGerald and Sarah Cannon. I also started calling myself Magic #51! Because someone in the initial 50 hadn’t been
able to meet their deadline, I was granted another chance. Imagine my shock when I made it into the Top
10! So, there’s my story. Sixteen years of writing brought me to this
point, along with some amazing highs and bottomless lows. I have a bulletin board above my desk with
lots of important phrases written on index cards. My favorite: Determination Trumps Talent.

In addition to being a writer, you're a wife and a mother. How do you find balance?

Balance?That’s a tough question.For many years I didn’t feel like I balanced
things very well.Other writers made it
look easy and I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. But when you have
kids, especially one with special needs, they have to come first. Everyone has
a different path and different challenges.Feeling like a real author was a big turning point for me.When our youngest moved to the college dorms,
I took over one of the bedrooms for my office.My hubby painted the walls red and I have an official “wall of fame”. I’ve gotten used to interruptions but I’ve
also learned to ignore a lot of things.I am never going to have a perfect life so I don’t know why I ever
thought that my writing world had to be perfect or I couldn’t function. Sometimes
I’m in my office and if the words aren’t flowing, I move to another room and
switch to my laptop. I also say no a lot now.I have to write.No one else is
going to do it for me.No one else has
invested what I’ve invested.There are
still days where everything doesn’t work out the way I wish it would, but
tomorrow is another chance to get it right.

Where do you find inspiration?

I got a lot of great story ideas while
working for the police department and through my college classes.Sometimes a single line of dialogue will pop
into my head and it’s enough to write an entire scene. If my day is going well,
I might get a few pages down where my heroine is overcoming an obstacle. If
nothing is going right in my real world, I’ll escape to my current story and
write an emotional scene. If I’m angry…I’m gonna have to kill somebody off!
I’ve also gotten many ideas from brainstorming with other authors.

You can check out Jan's entry, Kira's Keeper, right here. Don't forget to vote for your favorite entry! Voting closes November 25.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Three months ago on August 13, my
husband, ten-year-old daughter and I were busy getting ready for the
arrival of our newest family member, a darling baby girl who seemed
to enjoy tap-dancing in my ever-growing belly.

On August 14, she died.

This isn't a post about stillbirth. Or
heartbreak. Or grief. I'll save those painful thoughts and dark
musings for my private journals.

This post is about writing
romance. Plain and simple.

How can we continue to write the
happily ever after when real-life tragedy strikes?

I'll preface the following suggestions
with this disclaimer: I'm not an expert…on anything. These are just
a few tips that, in recent weeks, have helped me start writing again.

Find support. Surround yourself
with people who love to read and write and friends and family who
encourage and uplift you and your craft. This will help you stay
motivated.

Listen to some of your favorite
songs or playlists. Watch one of your favorite romantic movies. Read
a new book you've been looking forward to. Re-read one of your
favorites. Go for a walk or run. Find inspiration wherever and
whenever you can.

If you typically write in front of
the computer, then scribble in a notebook or journal instead. This
small change may be just the spark you need.

Set goals. If you are published
and have an editor, then chances are you already have deadlines,
which will help keep you on track. If you're unpublished, set your
own deadlines. Want that chapter finished in five days? Mark it on
your calendar and make a commitment to meet that goal.

Take a break. You may not have the
time, energy or desire to write. That's fine. Give yourself
permission to rest…for a while. But don't wait too long. A
prolonged absence from your work in progress may make it harder for
you to resume your writing.

What helps or motivates you when
writing gets tough?

What do you do when real life intrudes on your
fiction world?

What are your suggestions for overcoming or using your
own grief, and other emotions, in your writing?

Friday, November 8, 2013

My family and I recently moved to a new home and I feel like
I have a blank canvas to start with. Or maybe since I'm a writer, I should say
I have a blank document in front of me.

Unlike when I write, I don’t know where to start with
furnishing and decorating the house. I've never been big into decorating and I
don’t know a thing about coordinating colors and textures. When I like
something, I start to wonder how it will look with everything else in the room
and if it's something I want to look at day in and day out. I could burn hours
on jossandmain.com and wayfair.com. Both sites are filled with cool ideas.

My brother is a great decorator. He coordinates, he changes
color schemes and his place just works. Walking from room to room, I feel like
I am in a home, not a series of random spaces with clashing colors and piles of
mess. I'm planning to invite him for dinner and then pump him for ideas.

I have two young children, so my home will not be filled
with vases and glass, but I like comfortable furniture and pretty things! Have
any decorating tips? What's your favorite place to shop for home and décor
items?

Share your thoughts and leave your email address (or email
me at cj AT cj-miller DOT COM with the subject line HPT Giveaway) for your
chance to win a copy of Protecting His Princess.

Giveaway limited to US mailing addresses only, adults aged 18+.

In this kingdom, not even the royals are immune to danger

With a sexy FBI agent posing as her suitor, Princess Laila
of Qamsar is home for the wedding of her brother the Emir. In truth, the
beautiful royal and Harris Truman are on an undercover mission: to find the
infamous terrorist her brother is suspected of aiding.

But once the festivities begin, Laila faces a bigger threat
than Al-Adel. Her secret meetings with Harris pose a danger to her safety­—and
her heart. To gain his love and live in freedom as his equal is her ardent
desire. But will she betray her traditions for a man whose kisses are part of a
charade?

Protecting His Princess, the
third and final book in the Truman brother miniseries, is out this month from
Harlequin Romantic Suspense and is available in print and e-book.

Friday, November 1, 2013

This month the fifth book in my Cadence
Creek Cowboys series hits the shelves! I’m pretty excited about it; there’s
something I love about holiday stories. They’re extra sparkly and
heart-warming, don’t you think? In particular, I love that I was able to combine
both the holiday with a wedding in A CADENCE CREEK CHRISTMAS – Taylor Shepard
is in Cadence Creek to plan her brother’s wedding and spend some time with
family. Callum gets married off in fine fashion, and there are twinkle lights
and evergreen boughs galore.

A CADENCE CREEK CHRISTMAS is also out in
the UK this month and has a different cover. I thought I’d ask you: which one
do you prefer? I mean, the first one is
sort of fun and romantic and wintery, but the second one is also a little more
fancy with the wedding tuxedo and the holiday lights and everything.

I’ll give away a copy of EACH edition today here at
The Hot Pink Typewriter! Just put your preference in the comments!

In the meantime you can find me on my
website at www.donnaalward.com or on
twitter @DonnaAlward.

Here’s the blurb for A CADENCE CREEK CHRISTMAS:

It's Christmas in Donna Alward's Cadence Creek...

Taylor Shepard has come to Cadence Creek to organize her brother's
Christmas wedding. Organizing such a special event might be a little bit
stressful - but she can't deny she's swept away by the town's holiday
charm...and by brooding rancher Rhys Bullock.

Loner Rhys has been burned far too many times in the past. He's sure he
has city girl Taylor all figured out -she'll be hightailing it straight back to
the city in a few days! But as the snow starts to fall, Rhys and Taylor embark
on a tentative winter romance. Could Taylor be the Christmas present Rhys never
even knew he wanted?

Thursday, October 24, 2013

It's always a pleasure to have our friend Romy Sommer stop by The Hot Pink Typewriter, and today she's chatting about the heroine of her second Harper Impulse release, THE TROUBLE WITH MOJITOS. (How fun is that title?)

Turquoise blue waters. Sandy white beaches. Mojitos... Film
location scout Kenzie Cole has found herself in paradise. Working in the
Caribbean for a week is just what she needs to escape the long line of exes in
her closet. Though the last thing she expects is to be picked up at the resort
bar by a disgraced former Prince!

Luckily for Kenzie, exile is suiting the man formerly known
as Prince Fredrik very well. And it’s not long before his rugged, pirate charm is proving
hard to resist.

But Rik’s been spending his time in paradise exorcising
demons of his own and he has danger written all over him. If Kenzie was sensible she’d run a mile
instead of lose herself to lust - although, they do say sometimes you have to
get lost before you can be found....

Introducing Kenzie Cole, heroine of The Trouble with Mojitos, by Romy Sommer

Kenzie has definitely been my most
difficult heroine to date. I struggled to get to know her and had several false
starts on this story before I really understood her conflicts and what
motivated her.

There were only two things I knew about her
before I began:

(1) she’s petite and fragile-looking, looks
younger than she is, and has ginger hair.

(2) she works as a film location scout.

On everything else about her life she was
strangely reticent and I’d nearly reached the end of The Trouble with Mojitos before I uncovered the secret she holds
closest to her heart. Trust me, that secret came as quite a surprise to me!

Kenzie lives in London where she shares a
flat in Shoreditch with her BFF Lee. Lee’s an art director in the movie
business and encouraged her to become a scout.

What does a location scout do? Kenzie takes
the director’s brief then goes out looking for locations that match the image
in the director’s head. She negotiates permission to film the locations, takes
photographs, then sends the pictures back to the director and his production
team for approval. If the director likes what he sees, she helps set up the
shoot before handing over to the Location Manager who handles the actual shoot
logistics.

It’s a fun job, and Kenzie is determined to
be a success at it. After a series of bad relationships, all she wants to do is
focus on her career. She doesn’t want a man upsetting her plans, and especially
not another bad boy – enter Rik, oozing bad boy appeal...

For what happens next, read The Trouble with Mojitos, available from
Harper Impulse from 17th October.

Join the release date party for The Trouble with Mojitos on Facebook on
17th October here. There’ll be virtual cocktails, fun games,
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EXCERPT from The Trouble with Mojitos:

“A mojito, please.”

Kenzie sagged against the bar counter, not caring that her order
sounded desperate or her body language suggested impatience. She needed
alcohol, and she needed it now.

The benefit of an empty bar was that the drink came reassuringly
quickly, poured from an ice cold jug ready and waiting, and complete with
swizzle stick and paper parasol. She ditched both and tossed the drink back.

“Thanks, but I didn’t come here to talk.” She’d done enough of that
all day. Talk, talk, talk, and still nothing to show for it. Now she understood
how used car salesmen felt. Used.

It was enough to drive a girl to drink. Or at least to the resort’s
beach bar, since hitting the mini-bar in her hotel room was just too sad to
contemplate.

She didn’t drink alone. For that matter, she didn’t usually drink. Not
these days.

Beyond the thatched cabana, the sky flamed every shade of pink and
orange imaginable as the sun set over the white sand and surf. But here inside
the bar was dark, shadowy and strangely comforting after a day of white-hot
heat.

“She’ll have another.”

She turned to the wryly amused voice, and wished she hadn’t as she
spotted the dark figure at the shadowy end of the long bar. Great. The resident
barfly, no doubt. As if she needed another reason to hate this resort, this
island, and the whole stinking Caribbean.

“I can order my own drinks, thank you.”

The shadowed figure shrugged and turned his attention back to his own
drink. “Suit yourself.”

What was it with the men in this place? Didn’t think a woman could
order her own drinks, didn’t think a woman could do business, wouldn’t even
give her the time of day. She ground her teeth, the effects of the first drink
not quite enough to blur the edges of her mood. “I’d like another, please.”

She ignored the deep-throated chuckle down the other end of the bar as
the barman removed her glass to re-fill it.

The second drink followed the first a little more slowly, and this
time she took a moment to savour it. Now she felt better.

But she was still screwed.

Neil had known it when he sent her out here. He’d known she’d be
stone-walled, he knew he’d set her an impossible task, and still he’d sent her.
He’d expected her to fail. Perhaps even wanted her to fail.

There were days when her past seemed very far behind her. And then
there were days like today, when it seemed she’d never escape the follies of
her youth.

“Sod him!”

“That’s the spirit.” The stranger at the other end of the bar slid
from his bar stool, out of the shadows and into the yellow lamplight.

In another time and place he might have looked gorgeous, but in
low-slung jeans that had seen better days, black long-sleeved tee, with hair in
drastic need of a cut, several days’ worth of beard, and darkly glittering
eyes, he was devastating.

Pirate devastating. Bad boy devastating.

Kenzie swallowed. Double great.

ROMY SOMMERI’ve always written stories for myself, but
didn’t even think of being an author until I realised that being over thirty
and living in a fantasy world was a little odd. Writing those same stories for
other people makes it a lot more acceptable!

By day I dress in cargo pants and boots for
my not-so-glamorous job of making movies but at night I come home to my two
little Princesses, in Johannesburg, South Africa, where I live, and I get to
write Happy Ever Afters. Since I believe every girl is a princess, and every princess
deserves a happy ending, what could be more perfect?

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